Al Jazeera rejects baseless claims by US lawmakers

Tribune News NetworkDohaAl Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) has rejected baseless claims by a number of US lawmakers against the channel.In a statement, AJMN said,"The channel has provided multi-award winning news coverage and current affairs programmes for more than 21 years. It is shocking to hear calls being made by a number of US lawmakers to register Al Jazeera as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Al Jazeera views such calls as a direct attempt to curtail media freedom and restrict journalists from carrying out their duties, a right enshrined in the constitution of the US."It said although the professionalism of Al Jazeera has been questioned in prior cases; in no case has any evidence been submitted or brought forward. "More recently, Al Jazeera's journalism has been vindicated in four landmark rulings issued by the UK's communications regulator, Ofcom, following a complaint against its investigative programme The Lobby. These complaints levelled a range of charges against Al Jazeera extending from anti-Semitism and bias to unfair editing to infringement of privacy. In each instance, Ofcom has dismissed these charges and the complaints as a whole without reservation.""Our mission is to inform and empower people with the accurate, in-depth content that upholds the values of truth and elevates the human spirit.This has resulted in harsh criticism from a number of the most oppressive and despotic regimes who want the media to portray only their side of the story - and have even called for the closure of the AJMN. We are alarmed that some US lawmakers are aligned with such despotic regimes, rather than acting as gatekeepers for free speech and free media," it added ."We urge democratic forces all over the world, especially in US, to stand with free media institutions to protect the values of democracy, liberty, human rights, freedom of media and the right to free speech," it said.

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